Hesabu 23

1 Balaamu akasema, “Nijengee hapa madhabahu saba, mnitayarishie mafahali saba na kondoo dume saba.”

And Balaam said unto Balak: 'Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.'

2 Balaki akafanya kama Balaamu alivyosema; hao wawili kila mmoja wao akatoa fahali mmoja na kondoo dume mmoja juu ya kila madhabahu.

And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.

3 Kisha Balaamu akamwambia Balaki, “Kaa hapa kando ya sadaka yako wakati mimi ninakwenda kando. Huenda Bwana atakuja kukutana nami. Lolote atakalonifunulia, nitakuambia.” Basi akaenda hata mahali peupe palipoinuka.

And Balaam said unto Balak: 'Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go; peradventure the LORD will come to meet me; and whatsoever He showeth me I will tell thee.' And he went to a bare height.

4 Mungu akakutana naye, kisha Balaamu akasema, “Nimekwisha kutengeneza madhabahu saba, na juu ya kila madhabahu nimetoa sadaka ya fahali mmoja na kondoo dume mmoja.”

And God met Balaam; and he said unto Him: 'I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.'

5 Bwana akaweka ujumbe katika kinywa cha Balaamu na kusema, “Rudi kwa Balaki umpe ujumbe huu.”

And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said: 'Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.'

6 Basi Balaamu akarudi kwa Balaki, akamkuta amesimama kando ya sadaka yake akiwa na wakuu wote wa Moabu.

And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt-offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.

7 Ndipo Balaamu akasema ujumbe wake: “Balaki amenileta kutoka Aramu, mfalme wa Moabu kutoka milima ya mashariki. Akasema, ‘Njoo, unilaanie Yakobo; njoo unishutumie Israeli.’

And he took up his parable, and said: From Aram Balak bringeth me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East: 'Come, curse me Jacob, and come, execrate Israel.'

8 Nitawezaje kuwalaani, hao ambao Mungu hajawalaani? Nitawezaje kuwashutumu hao ambao Bwana hakuwashutumu?

How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I execrate, whom the LORD hath not execrated?

9 Kutoka vilele vya miamba ninawaona, kutoka mahali palipoinuka ninawatazama. Ninaliona taifa ambalo wanaishi peke yao, nao hawahesabiwi kama mojawapo ya mataifa.

For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, it is a people that shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

10 Ni nani awezaye kuhesabu mavumbi ya Yakobo, au kuhesabu robo ya Israeli? Mimi na nife kifo cha mtu mwenye haki, na mwisho wangu na uwe kama wao!”

Who hath counted the dust of Jacob, or numbered the stock of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let mine end be like his!

11 Balaki akamwambia Balaamu, “Ni nini ulichonitendea? Nimekuleta ulaani adui zangu, lakini wewe badala yake umewabariki!”

And Balak said unto Balaam: 'What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.'

12 Balaamu akajibu, “Je, hainipasi kusema kile Bwana anachoweka katika kinywa changu?”

And he answered and said: 'Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD putteth in my mouth?'

13 Ndipo Balaki akamwambia, “Twende pamoja mahali pengine ambapo unaweza kuwaona; utawaona baadhi tu wala si wote. Nawe kutoka huko, unilaanie hao.”

And Balak said unto him: 'Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them; thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all; and curse me them from thence.'

14 Basi akampeleka kwenye shamba la Sofimu, juu ya kilele cha Mlima Pisga. Pale akajenga madhabahu saba na kutoa sadaka ya fahali na kondoo dume mmoja juu ya kila madhabahu.

And he took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.

15 Balaamu akamwambia Balaki, “Kaa hapa kando ya sadaka yako wakati ninapokwenda kuonana na Mungu kule.”

And he said unto Balak: 'Stand here by thy burnt-offering, while I go toward a meeting yonder.'

16 Bwana akakutana na Balaamu, akaweka ujumbe katika kinywa chake akasema, “Rudi kwa Balaki umpe ujumbe huu.”

And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said: 'Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.'

17 Basi Balaamu akarudi kwa Balaki, akamkuta amesimama kando ya sadaka yake, akiwa na wakuu wa Moabu. Balaki akamuuliza, “Je, Bwana amesema nini?”

And he came to him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him: 'What hath the LORD spoken?'

18 Ndipo Balaamu akasema ujumbe wake: “Balaki, inuka na usikilize, nisikie mimi, wewe mwana wa Sipori.

And he took up his parable, and said: Arise, Balak, and hear; give ear unto me, thou son of Zippor:

19 Mungu si mtu, hata aseme uongo, wala yeye si mwanadamu, hata ajute. Je, anasema, kisha asitende? Je, anaahidi, asitimize?

God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: when He hath said, will He not do it? or when He hath spoken, will He not make it good?

20 Nimepokea agizo kubariki; amebariki, nami siwezi kubadilisha.

Behold, I am bidden to bless; and when He hath blessed, I cannot call it back.

21 “Haijaonekana bahati mbaya katika Yakobo, wala taabu katika Israeli. Bwana, Mungu wao yu pamoja nao, nayo sauti kuu ya Mfalme imo katikati yao.

None hath beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath one seen perverseness in Israel; the LORD his God is with him, and the shouting for the King is among them.

22 Mungu aliwatoa kutoka Misri; wao wana nguvu za nyati.

God who brought them forth out of Egypt is for them like the lofty horns of the wild-ox.

23 Hakuna uchawi dhidi ya Yakobo, wala hakuna uaguzi dhidi ya Israeli. Sasa itasemwa kuhusu Yakobo na Israeli, ‘Tazama yale Mungu aliyotenda!’

For there is no enchantment with Jacob, neither is there any divination with Israel; now is it said of Jacob and of Israel: 'What hath God wrought!'

24 Taifa lainuka kama simba jike; linajiinua kama simba ambaye hatulii mpaka amalize kurarua mawindo yake na kunywa damu ya mawindo yake.”

Behold a people that riseth up as a lioness, and as a lion doth he lift himself up; he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

25 Kisha Balaki akamwambia Balaamu, “Usiwalaani kabisa, wala usiwabariki kabisa!”

And Balak said unto Balaam: 'Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.'

26 Balaamu akajibu, “Je, sikukuambia ni lazima nifanye lolote analosema Bwana?”

But Balaam answered and said unto Balak: 'Told not I thee, saying: All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?'

27 Basi Balaki akamwambia Balaamu, “Njoo, nikupeleke mahali pengine. Huenda itampendeza Mungu kukuruhusu unilaanie hao watu kutoka mahali hapo.”

And Balak said unto Balaam: 'Come now, I will take thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.'

28 Balaki akamchukua Balaamu juu ya Mlima Peori, unaotazamana na nyika.

And Balak took Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh down upon the desert.

29 Balaamu akasema, “Nijengee hapa madhabahu saba, uandae mafahali saba na kondoo dume saba kwa ajili yangu.”

And Balaam said unto Balak: 'Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.'

30 Balaki akafanya kama Balaamu alivyosema, kisha akatoa sadaka ya fahali mmoja na kondoo dume mmoja juu ya kila madhabahu.

And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.